The more slugs that are dead now are less eggs that can be laid.

I used Bug-Getta in the spring on half of my garden and saw no slug damage until the past week or so, but it is minimal. I ran out of Bug-Getta and bought Sluggo to do the other half because it is "supposed" to be more pet friendly. I've been battling them all summer in the part of the garden where only Sluggo was used, even resorting to slug hunting.

The slug damage is horrible in the section that I only used Sluggo. And, we're talking about applying Sluggo religiously every week.

I finally broke down and bought Bug-Getta. The next morning I caught about 50 slugs, and then only a few more over the next couple of days. I haven't seen any since.

In my honest opinion, I totally wasted my money on Sluggo.

Last year, I used only Bug-Getta and had hardly any slug damage.

I noticed how severe the slug damage was this year when I started organizing my pictures and saw the difference in the hostas last year at the same time as compared to this year.

Here's my Revolution on September 23 last year, notice no slug damage. I used Bug Getta only a couple of times last year.

Here's Revolution on August 15, this year. I used Sluggo every week.

I know that there are many factors that affect slug population, but you would think that using Sluggo every week would have helped.

Gesila

kill momma now.. and they wont lay eggs in late fall ... which winter over in the crowns ...

ken

Nucci60- Now is good.

Gesila- That is really strange. I've been using Sluggo since it first came out years ago with great results. We have BIG snails here as well as slugs all year around, and when I use Sluggo I never see dead bodies, just hole-free plants. Before that, when I used snail bait with methaldehyde There would be clusters of slimy bodies and lots of shells left all around, which bring flies...

When you switched to Bug-Geta was it the kind that kills other insects too? I think they call that Bug-Geta Plus. I'm wondering if some of that damage isn't due to just slugs, but earwigs too, and your Bug-Geta bait got them, whereas the Sluggo only gets snails and slugs.

Hmm, I wonder if the small size of the Sluggo compared to the Bug-Geta which swells up with moisture. Sluggo can fall into mulch and almost disappear, whereas the Bug-Geta would more likely sit on top where the slugs go crawling at night.

Whatever the case, I'm glad you solved your problem.

-Babka

The reason I chose sluggo was because I visited New Hampshire Hostas and was amazed how beautiful their grounds looked for this time of year. No holes! Wonderful! Gisela, my hostas look like the one you have pictured. I hope I made the right choice.

You know this is a funny thing. I only used Sluggo once in very early March this year. I always seem to wait too long between applications, then I kick myself because I remember only when I start seeing holes. Well this year I have very few, but I have some very large toads hanging out around my yard this year. I wonder where you can buy toads...lol

Babka,

I agree that part of my problem is earwigs so I dig buy the Bug-Geta Plus. However, there was an endless supply of slugs to catch every night, even after weeks and weeks of using Sluggo.

I recently read an article that the slime trail they leave is like a path for other slugs to follow. I'm sure that a big part of my problem is the slugs coming over from the woods in back of me so I started putting Sluggo on the other side of the fence too, and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Gesila

gisela, if the Sluggo doesn't do the trick, iwill turn to bug geta,but I won't know 'till NEXT fall. it is war, starting now.LOL

Sounds like you have a lot of Sluggo. Make sure you put some down in the spring. Watch the forecast. Put it down on the night before it is supposed to reach 40 degrees F the next day when most of the snow is out of the garden. That really did the trick in the garden that is full of Pachysandra.

I was way too obsessed with those darn things this summer. I'd make my DH would follow me around with a 32 oz cup of salt water. I'd stab them with the fork dipped in salt water to kill them. I'd catch the most in the early morning as soon as there was light outside. Those darn slugs still won the battle though.

Yesterday I planted several new hostas and transplanted a few in present comfortable weather, followed with providing them with sprinkles of Bug Geta Plus. Ahh, how satisfying, how nice seeing those slimy trails, got a lot of the slugs! Yes, they are active, and past pellets must have worn off, will go out soon to sprinkle pellets around the other hostas too. Only $9.23 for 3 lbs of Bug-Geta-Plus at HD, one third the price of Sluggo.
Bernd

berndyz, one third the price and a lot more dangerous to the area it is used in. I researched both of them and feel I have to start with Sluggo first.

nucci, search this forum for slugs and read the pros and cons for Sluggo and BugGeta. Sluggo has other chemical besides phosphates. I do not have small children, and no pets, but visiting cats, dogs and squirrels do not show any ill effects. I simply can not afford Sluggo on 250 hostas, and going around at night with a flashlight is too much effort for me as a retiree.
Bernd

Nucci, I agree with you on the Sluggo, which is why I switched to it.

I'm thinking about a more long-term solution of creating a barrier on the other side of the fence. I've kept them out of my hosta beds that are in sunnier parts of the garden by planting sage, lavender, and catmint around the borders.

If the slugs are not controlled by an application of Bug-Getta this fall and one early next spring, I'll pull the hostas out of that area and put them somewhere else as I don't want to use Bug-Getta continually over the summer.

I read last night that for every slug you see above the ground, there are 20 more underground. Hmmm.... I've caught over 500 slugs this summer, does that mean there are 10,000 more????

Gesila

Yow Gisela, What a scary thought. Like a slug army. Berndnyz, I didn't mean to insult you. I would not be hunting with a flashlight either. Also a retiree.

I agree with everyone else. It is never too late to treat for slugs. Get them under control now. I also have used Sluggo for years and it has worked great for me.

My experience in some areas in my yard seems to indicate that timing is very important. This is the timimg between slug growth and freshness of your pellets which depends on the amount of rain. You need to get the slugs when they are big enough to feed a lot. Then some hostas have thin and tender leaves and are slug magnets, while others like Touch of Class are too tough or not of their liking. I doubt that it is possible to eradicate slugs in your garden.
Good luck!!
Bernd

Very good point Bernd. I did rearrange some hostas due to slug problems. I put Cherry Berry in a pot and replaced it with Millie's Memoir's. She's been there for 6 weeks now and hasn't been touched by the slugs.

Abiqua Drinking Gourd is supposed to be slug resistant, but it's full of holes this year. I actually picked a dead slug off of it yesterday morning.

Revolution is on the slug-resistant hosta list too and you can see what happened to mine.

So far, they have left Bright Lights, Heat Wave, Love Pat, Blue Vision, Tracy's Emerald Cup, Manhattan, Sum-Cup-O-Joe, and Toy Soldier alone.

I'm going to replace Cherry Tart with Rhino Blue when I can get back there when the mosquitoes aren't too bad.

Queen of the Seas looks like a machine gun hit her, but she'll need more room in a few years, so I'm going to leave her there.

Gesila

Fall is the best time to kill slugs, before they mate or overwinter, and will significantly cut down on the damage next year. Treating the perimeter is also important.

Personally I use metaldehyde bait and use between 5 and 10 lbs per year to cover over 2 acres of hostas, and some years I've used less than that. I checked the application rate and timing of sluggo and I would need something like 500 lbs of sluggo for the same coverage per year. I really can't afford that, so I'll stick with metaldehyde myself.